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Barnes-Davis ME, Williamson BJ, Kline JE, Kline-Fath BM, Tkach J, He L, Yuan W, Parikh NA. Structural connectivity at term equivalent age and language in preterm children at 2 years corrected. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae126. [PMID: 38665963 PMCID: PMC11043656 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously reported interhemispheric structural hyperconnectivity bypassing the corpus callosum in children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks) versus term children. This increased connectivity was positively associated with language performance at 4-6 years of age in our prior work. In the present study, we aim to investigate whether this extracallosal connectivity develops in extremely preterm infants at term equivalent age by leveraging a prospective cohort study of 350 very and extremely preterm infants followed longitudinally in the Cincinnati Infant Neurodevelopment Early Prediction Study. For this secondary analysis, we included only children born extremely preterm and without significant brain injury (n = 95). We use higher-order diffusion modelling to assess the degree to which extracallosal pathways are present in extremely preterm infants and predictive of later language scores at 22-26 months corrected age. We compare results obtained from two higher-order diffusion models: generalized q-sampling imaging and constrained spherical deconvolution. Advanced MRI was obtained at term equivalent age (39-44 weeks post-menstrual age). For structural connectometry analysis, we assessed the level of correlation between white matter connectivity at the whole-brain level at term equivalent age and language scores at 2 years corrected age, controlling for post-menstrual age, sex, brain abnormality score and social risk. For our constrained spherical deconvolution analyses, we performed connectivity-based fixel enhancement, using probabilistic tractography to inform statistical testing of the hypothesis that fibre metrics at term equivalent age relate to language scores at 2 years corrected age after adjusting for covariates. Ninety-five infants were extremely preterm with no significant brain injury. Of these, 53 had complete neurodevelopmental and imaging data sets that passed quality control. In the connectometry analyses adjusted for covariates and multiple comparisons (P < 0.05), the following tracks were inversely correlated with language: bilateral cerebellar white matter and middle cerebellar peduncles, bilateral corticospinal tracks, posterior commissure and the posterior inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. No tracks from the constrained spherical deconvolution/connectivity-based fixel enhancement analyses remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide critical information about the ontogeny of structural brain networks supporting language in extremely preterm children. Greater connectivity in more posterior tracks that include the cerebellum and connections to the regions of the temporal lobes at term equivalent age appears to be disadvantageous for language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Barnes-Davis
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brady J Williamson
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Julia E Kline
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Beth M Kline-Fath
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Radiology, Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jean Tkach
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Radiology, Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Lili He
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Radiology, Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Weihong Yuan
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nehal A Parikh
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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2
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Li H, Li Z, Du K, Zhu Y, Parikh NA, He L. A Semi-Supervised Graph Convolutional Network for Early Prediction of Motor Abnormalities in Very Preterm Infants. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:1508. [PMID: 37189608 PMCID: PMC10137879 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13081508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 32-42% of very preterm infants develop minor motor abnormalities. Earlier diagnosis soon after birth is urgently needed because the first two years of life represent a critical window of opportunity for early neuroplasticity in infants. In this study, we developed a semi-supervised graph convolutional network (GCN) model that is able to simultaneously learn the neuroimaging features of subjects and consider the pairwise similarity between them. The semi-supervised GCN model also allows us to combine labeled data with additional unlabeled data to facilitate model training. We conducted our experiments on a multisite regional cohort of 224 preterm infants (119 labeled subjects and 105 unlabeled subjects) who were born at 32 weeks or earlier from the Cincinnati Infant Neurodevelopment Early Prediction Study. A weighted loss function was applied to mitigate the impact of an imbalanced positive:negative (~1:2) subject ratio in our cohort. With only labeled data, our GCN model achieved an accuracy of 66.4% and an AUC of 0.67 in the early prediction of motor abnormalities, outperforming prior supervised learning models. By taking advantage of additional unlabeled data, the GCN model had significantly better accuracy (68.0%, p = 0.016) and a higher AUC (0.69, p = 0.029). This pilot work suggests that the semi-supervised GCN model can be utilized to aid early prediction of neurodevelopmental deficits in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Li
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders Prevention Center, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Artificial Intelligence Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Kevin Du
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Yu Zhu
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Nehal A. Parikh
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders Prevention Center, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Lili He
- Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders Prevention Center, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Artificial Intelligence Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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DiPiero M, Rodrigues PG, Gromala A, Dean DC. Applications of advanced diffusion MRI in early brain development: a comprehensive review. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:367-392. [PMID: 36585970 PMCID: PMC9974794 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02605-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Brain development follows a protracted developmental timeline with foundational processes of neurodevelopment occurring from the third trimester of gestation into the first decade of life. Defining structural maturational patterns of early brain development is a critical step in detecting divergent developmental trajectories associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders that arise later in life. While considerable advancements have already been made in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) for pediatric research over the past three decades, the field of neurodevelopment is still in its infancy with remarkable scientific and clinical potential. This comprehensive review evaluates the application, findings, and limitations of advanced dMRI methods beyond diffusion tensor imaging, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) to quantify the rapid and dynamic changes supporting the underlying microstructural architectural foundations of the brain in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa DiPiero
- Department of Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | | | - Alyssa Gromala
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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Butera CD, Rhee C, Kelly CE, Dhollander T, Thompson DK, Wisnowski J, Molinini RM, Sargent B, Lepore N, Vorona G, Bessom D, Shall MS, Burnsed J, Stevenson RD, Brown S, Harper A, Hendricks-Muñoz KD, Dusing SC. Effect of a NICU to Home Physical Therapy Intervention on White Matter Trajectories, Motor Skills, and Problem-Solving Skills of Infants Born Very Preterm: A Case Series. J Pers Med 2022; 12:2024. [PMID: 36556244 PMCID: PMC9784100 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12122024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants born very preterm (VPT; ≤29 weeks of gestation) are at high risk of developmental disabilities and abnormalities in neural white matter characteristics. Early physical therapy interventions such as Supporting Play Exploration and Early Development Intervention (SPEEDI2) are associated with improvements in developmental outcomes. Six VPT infants were enrolled in a randomised clinical trial of SPEEDI2 during the transition from the neonatal intensive care unit to home over four time points. Magnetic resonance imaging scans and fixel-based analysis were performed, and fibre density (FD), fibre cross-section (FC), and fibre density and cross-section values (FDC) were computed. Changes in white matter microstructure and macrostructure were positively correlated with cognitive, motor, and motor-based problem solving over time on developmental assessments. In all infants, the greatest increase in FD, FC, and FDC occurred between Visit 1 and 2 (mean chronological age: 2.68-6.22 months), suggesting that this is a potential window of time to optimally support adaptive development. Results warrant further studies with larger groups to formally compare the impact of intervention and disparity on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born VPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana Dodd Butera
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Claire Rhee
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Claire E. Kelly
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies and Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Thijs Dhollander
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Deanne K. Thompson
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies and Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jessica Wisnowski
- Departments of Radiology and Pediatrics (Neonatology), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Rebecca M. Molinini
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Barbara Sargent
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Natasha Lepore
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Greg Vorona
- Department of Radiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Dave Bessom
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Mary S. Shall
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Jennifer Burnsed
- Division of Neonatology, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Richard D. Stevenson
- Division of Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Shaaron Brown
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Amy Harper
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Karen D. Hendricks-Muñoz
- Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Stacey C. Dusing
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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Chandwani R, Harpster K, Kline JE, Mehta V, Wang H, Merhar SL, Schwartz TL, Parikh NA. Brain microstructural antecedents of visual difficulties in infants born very preterm. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:102987. [PMID: 35290855 PMCID: PMC8918861 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Infants born very preterm (VPT) are at risk of later visual problems. Although neonatal screening can identify ophthalmologic abnormalities, subtle perinatal brain injury and/or delayed brain maturation may be significant contributors to complex visual-behavioral problems. Our aim was to assess the micro and macrostructural antecedents of early visual-behavioral difficulties in VPT infants by using diffusion MRI (dMRI) at term-equivalent age. We prospectively recruited a cohort of 262 VPT infants (≤32 weeks gestational age [GA]) from five neonatal intensive care units. We obtained structural and diffusion MRI at term-equivalent age and administered the Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire to parents at 3-4 months corrected age. We used constrained spherical deconvolution to reconstruct nine white matter tracts of the visual pathways with high reliability and performed fixel-based analysis to derive fiber density (FD), fiber-bundle cross-section (FC), and combined fiber density and cross-section (FDC). In multiple logistic regression analyses, we related these tract metrics to visual-behavioral function. Of 262 infants, 191 had both high-quality dMRI and completed PreViAs, constituting the final cohort: mean (SD) GA was 29.3 (2.4) weeks, 90 (47.1%) were males, and postmenstrual age (PMA) at MRI was 42.8 (1.3) weeks. FD and FC of several tracts were altered in infants with (N = 59) versus those without retinopathy of prematurity (N = 132). FDC of the left posterior thalamic radiations (PTR), left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) were significantly associated with visual attention scores, prior to adjusting for confounders. After adjustment for PMA at MRI, GA, severe retinopathy of prematurity, and total brain volume, FDC of the left PTR, left ILF, and left IFOF remained significantly associated with visual attention. Early visual-behavioral difficulties in VPT infants are preceded by micro and macrostructural abnormalities in several major visual pathways at term-equivalent age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Chandwani
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Karen Harpster
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise, and Nutrition Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Julia E Kline
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Ved Mehta
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Hui Wang
- Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; MR Clinical Science, Philips, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Stephanie L Merhar
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Terry L Schwartz
- Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nehal A Parikh
- Center for Prevention of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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6
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Chandwani R, Kline JE, Harpster K, Tkach J, Parikh NA. Early micro- and macrostructure of sensorimotor tracts and development of cerebral palsy in high risk infants. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:4708-4721. [PMID: 34322949 PMCID: PMC8410533 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants born very preterm (VPT) are at high risk of motor impairments such as cerebral palsy (CP), and diagnosis can take 2 years. Identifying in vivo determinants of CP could facilitate presymptomatic detection and targeted intervention. Our objectives were to derive micro‐ and macrostructural measures of sensorimotor white matter tract integrity from diffusion MRI at term‐equivalent age, and determine their association with early diagnosis of CP. We enrolled 263 VPT infants (≤32 weeks gestational age) as part of a large prospective cohort study. Diffusion and structural MRI were acquired at term. Following consensus guidelines, we defined early diagnosis of CP based on abnormal structural MRI at term and abnormal neuromotor exam at 3–4 months corrected age. Using Constrained Spherical Deconvolution, we derived a white matter fiber orientation distribution (fOD) for subjects, performed probabilistic whole‐brain tractography, and segmented nine sensorimotor tracts of interest. We used the recently developed fixel‐based (FB) analysis to compute fiber density (FD), fiber‐bundle cross‐section (FC), and combined fiber density and cross‐section (FDC) for each tract. Of 223 VPT infants with high‐quality diffusion MRI data, 14 (6.3%) received an early diagnosis of CP. The cohort's mean (SD) gestational age was 29.4 (2.4) weeks and postmenstrual age at MRI scan was 42.8 (1.3) weeks. FD, FC, and FDC for each sensorimotor tract were significantly associated with early CP diagnosis, with and without adjustment for confounders. Measures of sensorimotor tract integrity enhance our understanding of white matter changes that antecede and potentially contribute to the development of CP in VPT infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Chandwani
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Julia E Kline
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Karen Harpster
- Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jean Tkach
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nehal A Parikh
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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